Mail receiving and discharging device.



E. M. DENNIS.

MAIL RECEIVING AND DISGHARGING DEVICE. APPLICATION nun NOV. 8, 1910.

989,340. 1 Patented A-pr.11', 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

.6] t mw; M M ".WW

WM? I .gww. ammu- THE uonms PETERS ch, WAQHINGION, n r;

. E. M. DENNIS.

. MAIL REGEIVING AND DISGHARGING DEVICE.

I APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8,1910.

989,340. Patented Apr. 11,.1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w l gwmvi ERNEST M. DENNIS, 0F CHEROKEE, IOWA.

MAIL RECEIVING AND DISCHARGING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1911.

Application filed November 8, 1910. Serial No. 591,356.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST M. DENNIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cherokee, in the county of Cherokee and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Receiving and Discharging Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a mail receiving and discharging device for use upon railway mail cars, the object of the invention being to provide improved means supported adjacent the track for catching and holding a mail bag to be delivered from the car and at the same time supporting a mail bag in such position that it may be caught by members carried by the car and directed inwardly to such position that it may be readily drawn into the car by the mail clerk.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows:

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail receiving and discharging device constructed in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, and, Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof.

Like numerals designate corresponding part-s in all of the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a railway mail car.

The numeral 2 designates a supporting post located adjacent the track and heavily anchored in the ground to enable it to withstand the severe shocks to which it is subjected. The members employed for supporting the mail bag to be delivered into the car, comprise elbows 3, 3 and outwardly directed arms 3 and 3, the elbows 3, 3 being connected by a vertical bar 3 The bar 3 carries an operating handle 41: by which it may be turned, this bar 3 being j ournaled in a keeper 5. The keeper 5 is located at one edge of a doorway 7 and a keeper 6 is located at the opposite. edge of said doorway, it being understood that with the parts in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, the car is traveling in the direction of the arrow a. When the car is traveling inthe opposite direction, however, the member consisting of bar 3, elbows 3, 3 and the associated parts, is inverted and the bar 3 is journaled in the keeper 6. The arms 3 and 3 have hook terminations 8 and 9 for engaging straps formed upon the opposite ends of the mail bag 10 that is to be delivered from the car.

Oppositely directed curved horns 11 and 12 are formed in one piece with a bar 14 which terminates at its outer end in oppositely projecting hook members 13 and 14. Either one of these horns 13 or 141 is adapted to engage a strap formed upon the bottom of a mail bag 15 that is to be delivered into the car. Oppositely directed hook portions 16 and 17 are formed upon the end of a bar 18 which extends through a slotted rest 19 and is pivoted at 20 in cars 33 and 34; in a bearing plate that is secured to the upper end of the post 2 by fastening de vices 27 and 28. A weight 21 mounted upon the rear end of thebar l8 normally tends to throw said bar to the position illustrated in Fig. 3. Steps 22 and 23 lead upwardly to a platform 24 from the opposite sides of the post 2 and aid in bracing said post. Fastening devices 25 and 26 pass through the post and are continued to form bearing cars 31 and 32 in which the members 11, 12, and 14: are journaled for bodily swinging move ment, all of these members being in one piece with and supported from a bar 10 The bar 10 is bent before it finally terminates in the curved horns 11 and 12, to form loops 29 and 30. A spring 35 normally tends to throw the bar 14 and the parts carried thereby downwardly.

The operation of the device is as follows: With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, and with the car moving in the direction of the arrow 0;, the horn 11 engages the bag 10 and directs it into the loop 29 where it is wedged and where it remains until removed by the post master at the receiving station. This removal of the bag 10 takes place just a little before the arm 3 engages the bag 15. When this arm 3 engages the bag 15, the bag is shoved from the hooks 13 and 17 and is directed by the arm 3* inwardly until it engages in the crotch between the arm 3 and the elbow 3. At this time, the elbow rests against the side of the car in such manner as to firmly support the structure against the strain brought upon the arm 3 by its engagement with the bag 15. When the bag 15 is removed from the hooks 13 and 17, it is apparent that the weight 21 will act to throw the arm 18 to the position illustrated in Fig. 3 where it will be out of the way of passing trains. The parts carried by the arm 10 drop by gravity to the position illusj trated in Fig. 3, this action being aided by spring 35. It will be understood that if the car is traveling in the opposite direction, the bag 15 will be supported from the hooks 14 and 16 instead of from the hooks 13 and 17, and that in this case, the bag 10 will be caught by the horn 12 instead of by the horn 11.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that simple and efficient means are herein provided for accomplishing the obj ects of the invention, but while the elements shown and described are Well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but includes within its purview such changes as may be made within'the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a mail bag receiving and discharging device, the combination with a car, of a supporting post located adjacent the path of travel of said car, a weighted, transversely projecting arm carried by said post and terminating at the end nearest the car, in oppositely projecting bag supporting members, a second bar pivotally supported from the post below the first named bar and terminating in oppositely projecting bag supporting members, oppositely directed, longitudinally extending horns movable with the last named bar, and means carried by the car for supporting the mail bag in position to be engaged by one or the other of said horns, said means comprising an arm which engages the upper portion of the mail bag to be delivered from the car, said arm traveling in the plane of the mail bag to be delivered into the car, and serving to engage said last named mail bag.

2. In a mail bag receiving and discharging device, the combination with a car, of a supporting post located adjacent the path of travel of said car, a weighted, transversely projecting arm carried by said post and terminating at the end nearest the car in oppositely projecting bag supporting members, a second bar pivotally supported from the post below the first named bar and terminating in oppositely projecting bag supporting members, oppositely directed, longitudinally extending horns movable with the last named bar, and means carried by the car comprising a vertically ournaled member, an operating handle carried thereby, rearwardly extending elbows at the opposite ends of said member, outwardly inclined arms extending from said elbows, and rearwardly directed hook portions in which said arms terminate.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST M. DENNIS.

Witnesses:

E. O. HERRIGK, W. K. HERRICK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

